Floating Device for Transporting and Transferring Containers

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a device for transporting and transferring containers. Said device is embodied as a floating and automotive object which is equipped with at least one crane. The crane comprises at least one vertical element, a slewing ring, and a boom. The crane is arranged in the area of a transversal axis that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the object. Furthermore, the crane is disposed laterally offset relative to the longitudinal axis while a deck house encompassing a pilot house is placed laterally next to the crane.

The invention pertains to a self-driven device for transporting andtransshipping containers, which is designed as a floating objectprovided with at least one crane comprising at least one verticalelement, a slewing ring, and a boom, where the crane is mounted in thearea of a transverse axis extending transversely to a longitudinal axisof the object, the object being designed with essentially mirrorsymmetry with respect to the transverse axis.

In one of the known embodiments, these types of devices are in the formof self-driven floating cranes, which are designed as heavy-liftingcranes. These floating cranes have only a transshipment function and arethemselves not suitable for transporting containers, because onlyminimal storage areas are present on them. When these types of floatingcranes are designed to rotate, they have their slewing ring underneaththe vertical element, so that the entire crane can be swung about.

In the area of harbor facilities, the containers are loaded with thehelp of special, complicated traveling bridges, which are installedalong the quay. On ocean-going vessels, special shipboard cranes areused to load and to unload the containers. The known devices, however,are not optimally designed for transporting containers on the waterbetween the various installations within a harbor, because for thispurpose it is necessary to use a barge or a pontoon without cargohandling gear, and the containers must be transferred two differenttimes by means of the complicated traveling bridges. Horizontaltransport within a harbor is therefore usually accomplished by means ofroad vehicles.

A self-driven pontoon with loading crane for transporting containers inharbor installations is already known from DE-OS 102 21 460. Thisdevice, too, fails to meet all the requirements on operatingflexibility, because in particular its maneuverability in tight accessareas is still not optimal.

The object of the present invention is therefore to design a device ofthe type described above in such a way that economical and flexiblecontainer transport and transshipment between various harborinstallations is supported, the device also being able to deal withdifferent sets of transshipment conditions at the installations inquestion.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the crane islaterally offset from the longitudinal axis, and that, laterally next tothe crane, a deckhouse with pilothouse is positioned, and in that thedevice is designed with basically mirror symmetry with respect to thetransverse axis. As a result, the device does not have a fixed maintravel direction (“double-end configuration”), which means that thedemand for maneuverability is reduced to a corresponding degree.

Optimal positioning of the crane on the pontoon is ensured according tothe invention in that the crane and the deckhouse with pilothouse arelocated approximately in the middle of the planned work area consideredin the direction of the longitudinal axis.

Because the crane is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis, it ispossible to provide the crane with a large work area on one side of thepontoon, and it thus also becomes possible for the crane to pick upcontainers located a longer distance away from the quay wall and to setthem back down again there. If the device is docked at a quayinstallation in such a way that the crane is located on the side of thedevice farther away from the quay wall, however, the crane can work morequickly, because the angle of rotation required for the transfer work issmaller.

The arrangement of the deckhouse with pilothouse laterally next to thecrane leads to a compact design and to optimization of the availableloading surface. Because the pilothouse is located approximately in themiddle of the device considered in the longitudinal direction, thedistances to the two ends of the device are comparatively short, whichmeans that a clear view is possible during the maneuvering of thepontoon.

Because the floating object is designed as a pontoon, it is possible tocombine the design of a floating object optimal for the transport andtransshipment of cargo within harbor installations with thefunctionality of a loading crane. Because the slewing ring is locatedabove the vertical element and a certain distance away from the deck ofthe pontoon, it is possible to ensure a space-saving, simple, and sturdysuperstructure with high functionality and reliability even under harshoperating conditions. A slewing ring located under the crane columnwould have a much larger diameter and would take away a correspondingnumber of container storage spaces.

To ensure that the transport and transshipment gear has a high degree ofmobility, the pontoon is provided with at least one drive assembly.

The control of the pontoon is facilitated in that the pontoon has anoperator's station in the pilothouse, and in that this station islocated at a level vertically above the highest point which thecontainers can reach.

To support relatively prolonged work phases, it is proposed that thepontoon be provided with at least one accommodation for crew.

Versatile maneuverability of the pontoon is supported in that the driveassembly/assemblies is/are connected to two thrusters.

In-place maneuverability of the pontoon is optimally supported in that athruster is mounted at each end of the pontoon.

A high degree of course stability is achieved in particular in that thethrusters, one of which is mounted at each end of the pontoon, areasymmetric to the longitudinal axis in such a way that the thrustersfacing essentially in opposite directions are the same distance awayfrom the longitudinal axis.

So that even heavy loads can be transported safely, a high degree ofstructural strength can be achieved by providing the structure of thepontoon with reinforcement at least in the area where the crane isattached to the structure.

A typical design consists in that the pontoon has essentially the shapeof a right parallelepiped.

Providing the crane with a structure which resists continuous loads willensure universal and long-lasting operational reliability.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated schematically inthe drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a floating pontoon with a drive and acontainer crane;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the device according to FIG. 1 in anoperating state, in which the boom of the container crane has been swungto the side over the deckhouse to pick up a container;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the main deck; and

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment with a two-part deckhouse.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the device for transportingcontainers 1, designed here as a pontoon 2, on which a crane 3 ismounted. The pontoon 2 consists essentially of a right parallelepipedbase element, which is stiffened by a structure 4. On the top, thepontoon 2 has a deck 5, on which the containers 1 are arranged. Thepontoon 2 is provided with crew accommodations 7 and a pilothouse 29located above the crew accommodations 7. A drive assembly 10 isconnected to thrusters 11, 12. One of the thrusters 11, 12 is located ateach end 6, 13 of the pontoon 2.

The crane 3 consists essentially of a vertical element 14, which isconnected in the area of an element base 15 to the structure 4 of thepontoon 2. At the end facing away from the element base 15, the verticalelement 14 carries a slewing ring 16, which supports a crane head 17 insuch a way that it can swing horizontally relative to the verticalelement 14. The crane head 17 holds a boom 18, which is supported sothat it can pivot around a pivot joint 19 relative to the crane head 17.A pivoting of the boom 18 relative to the crane head 17 can beaccomplished by the use of an adjusting cylinder 20.

FIG. 1 shows the crane 3 in a base position, floating, and transportingthe containers 1. In this position, the cable 22 of the crane 3 is woundup essentially all the way. At the end of the boom 18, the cable 22 isguided over a boom pulley 23. A cable winch 24 is located preferablyinside the crane head 17.

To ensure that the containers 1 can be stowed safely even under theinfluence of forces acting laterally or transversely, the storage sitesfor the containers 1 are provided with cellular-type framing 31.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the pontoon 2 according to FIG. 1 with thecrane 3 in a working position, in which its boom 18 has been swung overthe deckhouse 28. It can be seen that the crane 3 is laterally offsetfrom the longitudinal axis of the pontoon 2. It was already obvious fromFIG. 1 that the crane 3 is located approximately in the middle of theintended working area considered in the direction of the longitudinalaxis. It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the two thrusters 11, 12 arealso offset from the longitudinal axis. In particular, the idea is thatthe two thruster 11, 12 are offset from the longitudinal axis by thesame amount, and that they are mounted on opposite sides of thelongitudinal axis.

In the operating state according to FIG. 2, the crane 3 picks upcontainers from the quay 27 by means of load-lifting gear with anattached hook 26 and sets them down again in the area of the pontoon 2after a corresponding pivoting movement. During the unloading process,this work cycle is reversed.

Arranging the crane 3 with an offset from the longitudinal axis offersthe advantage of either maximum reach on the land side or of acceleratedoperation of the crane. Because a thruster 11, 12 is mounted at each endof the pontoon 2, it is possible both to maneuver the pontoon 2 in placeand to move in the direction parallel to the quay 27. Because thethrusters 11, 12 are located asymmetrically with respect to thelongitudinal axis, good course stability and high efficiency areachieved.

It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the pilothouse 29 with theoperator's station 8 and the crew accommodations 7 are located in thearea of a deckhouse 28. The drive of the pontoon 2 is controlled fromthe operator's station 8. The crane 3 is operated from the crane console32.

A height-adjustable gangway 33 is provided so that the pontoon 2 can beaccessed regardless of the load it is carrying and of differences in theheights of the quay walls.

In a plan view of the deck 5, FIG. 3 shows that the crane 3 is laterallyoffset from the longitudinal axis 25 and that the deckhouse 28 isadjacent to the crane 3. It can be seen in particular that, in theexemplary embodiment illustrated here, both the crane 3 and thedeckhouse 28 are arranged on a transverse axis 30 extending transverselyto the longitudinal axis 25. As a result, the deckhouse 28 is locatedlaterally next to the crane 3. It can also be seen that the pontoon 2has an essentially symmetric design with respect to the transverse axis30. As a result, optimum use can be made of the working space in thearea of the deck 5, and optimal use of the crane 3 can also be promoted.

A high degree of maneuverability of the pontoon 2 can be achieved bylocating two thrusters 12 at one end 6 of the ship symmetrically to thelongitudinal axis 25. The maneuverability can be increased even more byproviding two more thrusters 11 at the other end of the ship 13 withmirror symmetry with respect to the longitudinal axis 25.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which a deckhouse 28 consisting of twohouse segments 33, 34 is provided on the pontoon 2, which transports thecontainers 1. The house segments 33, 34 are located on opposite sides ofthe crane 3, preferably at equal distances from the crane 3. Thearrangement of the house segments 33, 34 on two sides of the crane 3 inthe exemplary embodiment shown here is done in such a way that the housesegment 33 faces one end 6 of the pontoon and that the house segment 34faces the other end 13 of the pontoon. As a result of this arrangementof the house segments 33, 34, additional storage room for containers 2is created on the deck 5 laterally next to the crane 3 in the directiontransverse to the longitudinal axis 25.

As needed, the house segments 33, 34 can be connected to each other bywalkable open or closed bridges.

1. A floating, self-driven device for transporting and transshippingcontainers, which is designed as a floating object and is provided withat least one crane comprising at least one vertical element, a slewingring, and a boom, where the crane is located in the area of a transverseaxis (30) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the object,wherein the crane (3) is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis(25), and in that a deckhouse (28) with pilothouse (29) is positionednext to the crane (3).
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein thefloating object is designed as a pontoon (2).
 3. A device according toclaim 1, wherein at least one of the vertical elements (14) is rigidlyconnected to a structure (4) of the pontoon (2).
 4. A device accordingto claim 1, wherein the slewing ring (16) for the pivotable support ofthe crane head (17) which holds the boom (18) is installed at the end ofthe vertical element (14) facing away from the structure (4) of thepontoon (2), a certain distance away from a deck (5) of the pontoon (2).5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pontoon (2) is designedwith essentially mirror symmetry with respect to the transverse axis(30).
 6. A device according to claim 1, wherein cellular-type framing(31) is provided in the area of at least some of the storage sites forthe containers (1).
 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein thepontoon (2) is provided with at least one drive assembly (10).
 8. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein the pontoon (2) has an operator'sstation (8), which is located at a level vertically above the highestpoint which the containers can reach.
 9. A device according to claim 1,wherein the pontoon (2) is provided with at least one crew accommodation(7).
 10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the driveassembly/assemblies (10) is/are connected to two thrusters (11, 12). 11.A device according to claim 1, wherein one thruster (11, 12) is providedat each of the two ends (6, 13) of the pontoon (2), and where thethrusters (11, 12) are each located at essentially the same distancefrom the longitudinal axis (25).
 12. A device according to claim 1,wherein the thrusters (11, 12) are located asymmetrically with respectto the longitudinal axis (25).
 13. A device according to claim 1,wherein two thrusters (11, 12) are provided at each end (6, 13) of thepontoon.
 14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the structure (4) ofthe pontoon (2) has structural reinforcement at least in the area wherethe crane (2) is attached.
 15. A device according to claim 1, whereinthe pontoon (2) has essentially the shape of a right parallelepiped. 16.A device according to claim 1, wherein the crane (3) has a design whichresists continuous loads.
 17. A device according to claim 1, wherein thepontoon (2) is provided with a height-adjustable-gangway (33).
 18. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein the crane boom (18) can be swungover the deckhouse (28).
 19. A device according to claim 1, wherein thedeckhouse (28) is formed out of two house segments (33, 34), which arelocated next to the crane (3), on opposite sides.
 20. A device accordingto claim 19, wherein container storage sites are located next to thecrane and next to the house segments in the direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis (25).
 21. A device according to claim 1, wherein thehouse segments (33, 34) have at least one walkable connection betweenthem.